Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-01
.pEscouRAaINs RAILROADs.
what Mr.. swami Thinks Of the Propos
V,~feIaffon

1 clpieS. LIE QulCk, tHc timC oCANOf WY
demagogue, and the half educated, non
reading crude politician is ever ready for
innovation. He does not understand gen
eral principles or those almighty laws of
trade and commerce, labor and capital,
supply and demand, that govern society
and commerce, and all their economic re-
lations and combinations and as fixed
and irreyertible. in their course rs the
planets. Legislation may confuse, may
make things here and there little better
for time, 50 to say. But it is merely
apparent, it is passing force applied here
and there and while this or that
interest may be temporarily benefited
the general law will assert itself In the
mean time, before the equilibrium is eStab-
lished, great injuries may be produced,
the wheels of capital may become rusted
or stopped, projected enterprise, arrested
and disaster come where least expected.
If the railroads now projected in this State
and wholly dependent on the will Of capt
tai, the hope OF realizing on the local
freight will have y controlling influence
on capitalists. II this local freight is to
be governed and controlled by persons APP
pointed by the Legislature, and thus the
guarantee of the charter privileges de
strOyed, venture to say these roads wilt
not be made Who will invest money in
railroad where the freights are TO be
controlled by the ever changing within
or caprice of legislation, and thus
chartered rights set aside? The Inter
State Commerce bill, although national,
now going into effect, is IN example in
point. The rates OF local freight have
been decreased here and there, aud minor
grievances corrected. But the rates of
through freight and travel have been
doubled. If they remain doubled our
commerce from Chicago will be forced on
| to The Canadian waters and into the hands
of foreign shippers, and that from the far
West will be forced on to the Mississippi.
| Vested commercial and manufacturing in
terests will be destroyed. The price of
manufactures increased, and the value OF
farm products 10 the producers decreased,
or else our wheat and other grain driven
| from the European markets. The result
will he very disastrous to our whole conn
try, and mostly outweigh the local partial
reduction in local freights, etc. II will be
like the quack medicine that relieves a
local pain at the expense of the whole
body.
The fundamental principle of Jeffer-
sonian Democracy, and OF all true states
manship is, that competition is the life OF
trade and production, and the only way to
build up country. That the Legislature
should be very slow and cautious in inter
fering with men and capital, and leave both
free and untrammeled by that force called
legislation. That the relation of their
characters are more wisely regulated by
the laws that naturally grow out of condi-
tions than by legislation. That taxes
should be IS light as possible. That the
money of the people in their own hands,
will be more wisely used than if taken
from them by the Government, and used
by the Government. That for the Govern
mGnt TO take their money from the people
and hoard it in the treasury is wrong and
oppressive, and must lead to useless and
whimsical waste and to disastrous results
That legislation should be confined, as
far as possible, simply to the protection OF
every one in his own person and property
and that corporations as well as individ-
uals should receive like protection. That
all contracts should be sacredly observed.
These are the fundamental principles of
true wisdom and the guiding and controll-
ing principles that govern all statesmen.
For the Legislature to attempt, by legisla-
ton, 10 fix prices, whether of grain or
other product OF manufactured articles,
or Of labor, or of the freight charges on
commercial movements, whether by river
or rail, ocean or canal, is directly ut war
with .JeilIeTsonian Democracy, and Will
prove injurious and sometimes disastrous
This has been demonstrated in every ma
ton i'll Europe and i'll many of our States.
The competition between railroads and
rivers and canals have reduced the freight
and passenger charges in the last five years
about onehalf Ia fact freight and pas
senger charges are lower in the United
States than in Europe, and their cOmpeti-
ton is bringing these charges lower and
lower. The freight and passenger charges
are higher in the South and trans-Missis-
sippi than in the North, simply because
we have in the South and the transmits
sissippi fewer railroads ard have less COM
petition. For the Legislature. of this or
any other Southern States to undertake tn
regulate local railroad charges and put
those charges under the control of Com
missiOners will stop or very much cripple
all investment Of capital in making
railroads here. Capital is not will
ing to seek investment when the
expected management of il is TO he
controlled by men appointed by Cover
nor, or by the caprice of q Legislature. If
we let this matter alone, if we give capi-
talists assurance and proper guarantees
| that they shall manage their own roads,
except so far rs regulated by their charters,
then we have every reason to believe that
a large amount OF capital will be invested
in railroad building in this State, and the
competition thus produced will reduce the
railroad charges, by and through the laws
of trade to the lowest minimum, while the
railroads will make the State rich and
powerful. This is the experience Of the
world, and this all thinking men know full
well. There is no State so completely in
the woods to-day as West Virginia; no
State so entirely dependent on new roads;
no State thatshould put out greater induce
ments to capitalists in making railroads.
A railroad on Coal river or on Elk river,
or o railroad traversing the State from the
Ohio across the Elk and the Greenbrier
rivers, would open up forest oi timber
unsurpassed anywhere, and an unequaled
coal field, as we'll rs great deposits OF lion
ore. These roads would have no advan-
tage over the c. Il o. or the Il. q o. roads
in the matter of through freights. In fact
their advantages would he inferior. But
the local freights would offer great advan-
tages, and if they are ever made it will be
with the view 10 the local freights,
and 10 this the investors would look Tor
profit on their capital. Does anyone
suppose that n law giving the control of
these local freight charges 10 commission
ers, would induce capitalists TO make these
roads? Is any one so blind as not TO see
that such law would he death blow 10
these roads?
We who live within these regions of the
State; we who own property in these To-
calities; we who labor here; we who are
MGR thnnub ntunirw The a.lanI;I 4,,,l,.~